Many Lives Could have Been Saved in Mina: Iran’s Police Chief
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iranian Police Chief Brigadier General Hossein Ashtari lashed out at the Saudi regime over its lack of assistance to Hajj pilgrims during the recent deadly crush in Mina, outside the holy city of Mecca, which claimed hundreds of lives, including those of 464 Iranian pilgrims.
More disturbing than the sad incident was the Saudi police and rulers’ lack of cooperation and assistance to the affected pilgrims, General Ashtari regretted on Thursday morning.
Pictures of the crush show thousands of people dying before the eyes of Saudi officials, General Ashtari noted, adding that a large number of those who lost their lives could have survived if they had been cared for and given some water.
According to Iranian officials, about 4,700 pilgrims were killed in the crush in Mina on September 24 when performing religious rites. Many pilgrims are still unaccounted for in the incident that marked the worst Hajj disaster in 25 years.
Iranian Hajj and Pilgrimage Organization has put the number of Iranian pilgrims killed in the disaster at 464.
The incident came nearly two weeks after tens of Hajj pilgrims were killed in another tragic event in Mecca.
On September 11, a massive construction crane crashed into Mecca’s Grand Mosque in stormy weather, killing at least 107 people, including 11 Iranians, and injuring 201 others.
Saudi authorities have come under fire for their inability to ensure the safety of hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who converge on Mecca every year.
